Before I met my
wife, I participated in a singles Sunday school class at the North Avenue
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. One morning, a young man, a student of Georgia
Tech, asked if he could speak to the class. He shared, “Several years ago I
said I believed in Jesus Christ and trust Him as my Savior. I was then baptized
in this church. Yet, I did nothing with my faith so my faith did nothing for
me.”
Fortunately, that
was not the end of the story. He shared that it was now his intention to
change; to take his faith seriously. He asked the pastor to help him chart a
path for intentional progress in the Christian faith. Part of that path was
accountability. That is where the singles Sunday school class came into the
conversation. This young man was asking us, fellow class members, to walk with
him and encourage him as he sought to be changed
by his faith. Changed – a powerful word. Formation
is another word that means the same thing. As people who say that Jesus Christ
is Lord, we are people who seek to be “changed” or “formed” increasingly into a
person who acts like Christ, speaks like Christ and thinks like Christ.
Five times a year
I reprint in our monthly newsmagazine, The
Spire, a basic approach to growing in Jesus Christ. This approach is
summarized by four important words: Practices, Solitude, Community, and
Sharing. It is a pathway or means that, if followed, will result in our own
change or formation to look more and more like Jesus. Simply, that is what is
meant by the terms Spiritual Formation or Christian Formation. Take the journey
and when you need your faith the most it will be there to strengthen you.
Joy,
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